Earthtalk

The last legal public hanging in North Dakota occurred in March, 1903 at the town of Bottineau.  The jury deliberated for an hour and fifteen minutes before finding the defendant guilty of murdering Thomas Walsh in his sleep because he wanted his horse.  He stole 3 of Walsh's horses afterward.  The murderer was 30 years old, married, and a father of several children.  He spent his last days praying and in the end said he was redeemed and ready for the "great adventure".  A large crowd had gathered for the execution. One account describes how a priest held a crucifix to the murderer's lips while the latter kissed it.  “The black cap was pulled down, the signal given.  Sheriff Gardner pulled the lever and the trap door dropped. He went down like a shot. His neck was broken, the report being plainly heard." 

So ended the life of my great great uncle, one William Robert Ross (aka Willie or Billy Bob). Ross feared that, if not hanged, he would return to his old criminal ways.  What was gained by executing Billy Bob, a man who claimed to fear living and was ready for death?  At least in those days there were no appeals, no long, expensive years on death row.  For such a cold-blooded murderer it seems that life in prison would have been a more appropriate punishment.  Our blood-lust and cult of revenge has deep roots.  Collectively, we are a mean-spirited people that committed genocide against Native Americans, lynched black men by the hundreds, are unwilling to give up our guns, and too damned willing to go to war.  We have yet to become fully civilized. 

The original death penalty for Boston bomber, Anzor Tsarnaev, was evidence of our desire to exact revenge, no matter what the costs. Wouldn’t life in prison for Tsarnaev have been substantial enough of a punishment? In fact, his sentence was thrown out in July, 2020 and reduced to life in prison. We are high on the list of countries that execute criminals, a distinction we share with China, Iran, Somalia, and Saudi Arabia.  As the wealthiest, most powerful, and, supposedly, most civilized country in history, is this the cohort with which we wish to be associated? 

It took a series of videos showing police murdering and beating black men for no good reason to awaken white America to what has been going on for decades.  The Black Lives Matter movement is amazing and just may make some real changes.  The fact that demonstrations have been continuous for about three months now is a good sign as is the widespread participation by whites.  Violence provoked at demonstrations by a small minority, however, is garnering all the media attention which does not bode well for the future of BLM.  The violence provides Trump with an excuse to crack down and pretend to be the law and order man. 

# posted by Rockdoc @ 4:08 PM